So now we're told we have to "observe" Ramadan. Yeah, sure.

I have nothing against Islam. I think it's a fine religion. I have nothing against any religion except some of the more extremist versions of Santeria. But that doesn't mean I think we should base operational tempo on them.

Ramadan is the last month of the Koranic calendar and is sort of a combination of Lent and New Years. The point being that it's 28 days long. Right now, whatever the Taliban spokespeople say, the ground forces have got to be feeling the sting. We've got good overhead intel and probably have spotters or recon teams in places on the ground. I doubt that CentCom is making the mistakes of the first few days and I doubt that there's a moving target that's not being engaged. Not to mention closing just about any "cave" opening that has an IR signature. That has got to hurt. Or at least be really depressing when you realize you left all the picks and shovels on the other side of the cave-in.

So giving the Taliban a month to sit and lick their wounds, rebuild their defenses, dig out their brethren, tend to their wounded, recruit back up to strength, and all the other items that the military refers to as "reconsolidation" is just insane .

Oh. You thought they were just going to sit around praying in the direction of Mecca? Yeah. Sure. Let me tell you about Ramadan.

During Ramadan, good Muslims are abjured to fast. During the day. Every group I ever dealt with managed this by having huge feasts at night and just before dawn. The Ramadan Parties are some of the best that get thrown in the Islamic world; it's sort of a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas. You think you have a hard time staying awake after Thanksgiving dinner? Trying doing that for 28 days in a row with the really big party being on day 28. Admittedly it ain't Mardi Gras (I suddenly got this image of a bunch of women in black chadours on the back of a float throwing out chocolate dollars.) However, it is as close as Islam gets.

But w ork goes on during Ramadan. The Prophet says you're not supposed to lie or slander, not that you can't build bomb shelters and steal food from starving women and children. The Taliban and Al Quaeda will assuredly improve their defense works and try to get whatever gear and personnel they have left dug in deeper. They might be a little light-headed around three-ish, but they'll still be working. These are things we as a nation don't want to happen.

Then there's whole issue of "congruence." Are the Al Quaeda going to promise not to do any terroristic attacks from, say, Thanksgiving to New Years? Maybe during Lent would be more appropriate. But who cares if they attack during Lent; it's Fat Tuesday and Superbowl Sunday we're all worried about. Will the Taliban promise not to attack during the same period? Can we have that in writing? Never mind, one of the items in the Koran is that it's perfectly acceptable to betray an Unbeliever. (Really. You should read it; it's a real lesson in 6 th Century psychology.)

But it doesn't really matter. We don't observe our own holidays, why should we observe Ramadan? Throughout the world on Christmas, young American men (And Women! And Women!) will be standing guard to defend freedom. And on Thanksgiving and New Years and Easter and the Fourth of July. They will be out there, Orwell's "rough men", trying to hold the line against all the barbarians in the world that don't believe in the concepts of freedom and rights and basic human dignity and scantily-clad women in high-heels. They'll be there in any weather, under any conditions and more often under fire than most people would believe.

So if you get upset about bombing during Ramadan, just think about the poor guard standing his post in Panmunjon at New Years. He'll be there. Standing at attention at three AM in a thin dress uniform. He'll be looking across a short strip of pavement at a North Korean guard who is much better dressed for the weather. The temperature will be a balmy fifteen degrees Fahrenheit (if that) with a bitter north wind blowing the stench of human feces in his face. He'll be tired, and very cold and probably hungry.

And he's there to do the best he can to keep you safe.

So to all who say we should "understand the feelings of the Islamic world" during Ramadan: Bite Me. We're at war. If they didn't want us to kill them during Ramadan they should have offed Bin Laden before he came up with September 11 th .

And to the guard: When you get back to the barracks, read a Playboy. It's the American thing to do!